Slicing and storing device



Oct. 18, 1955 J. w. JACOBS SLICING AND STORING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 21, 1952 IN VEN TOR. W Jacobs James BY III: A T'To sue-rs.

Oct. 18, 1955 J. w. JACOBS 2,720,700

SLICING AND STORING DEVICE Filed Oct. 21, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 fikINVENTOR. [firm g Jacobs 56 57 II z/'zagm Oct. 1955 J. w. JACOBS SLICINGAND STORING DEVICE a W.\ R w m W w M W? W Ill/III II II W f m/ V i 11min4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. James W Jacobs. BY

Oct. 18, 1955 J. w. JACOBS SLICING AND STORING DEVICE Filed Oct. 21 1952lllllllll United States Patent Ofiice 2,720,706 Patented Oct. 18, 19552,720,700 SLICLNG AND STORING DEVICE James W. Jacobs, Dayton, Ohio,assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation ofDelaware Application October 21, 1952, Serial No. 316,927 Claims. (Cl.31-22) This invention relates to an article of manufacture andparticularly to a storing and slicing device for butter or the like.

A general object of my invention is to provide an inexpensivelightweight portable combined butter storing and slicing device adaptedto be placed in the food storage compartment of a refrigerator cabinetfor preserving the butter and removable therefrom to be placed on atable top for operation in dispensing small pats of butter therefrom.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved device capableof receiving, storing and slicing pats from different dimensionedone-quarter pound elongated prints, bars or sticks of butter or the likewhereby the device is rendered universal in use through out variouslocalities of the country.

Another object of my invention is to provide a combined butter or thelike storage and slicing device with improved indexing means forshifting a bar of butter therein along its support and past a cuttingmeans on the device during successive operations thereof for severingand dispensing parts therefrom.

A further object of my invention is to provide a combined storing andslicing device with a cover member slidable in a straight line directionrelative to another member of the device supporting a bar of butter orthe like to render a cutting means in the device effective for severingflat sided pats from the butter bar.

A still further and more specific object of my invention is to provide aportable butter storing and slicing device comprising two membersconnected together for reciprocaring sliding movement in a straight linedirection with means for successively indexing a portion of the butterpast a cutting means on the device and to render the indexing means andthe cutting means effective during the same or down stroke ofreciprocating movement of one of the members relative to the other.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention resides incertain novel features to be hereinafter more particularly pointed outin the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings and,while this disclosure depicts my present preferred form of device,changes in construction and arrangement of parts can be made Withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable butter storing and slicingdevice constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 ofFigure 1 showing the device in normal closed position with a bar ofbutter therein;

Figure 3. is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the cover or hood of thedevice raised upwardly of the supporting base thereof in a position ofinitial down stroke movement to index the bar of butter forwardly of thedevice past its cutting means;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the indexing means in thedevice in a position ready to move and cut the last pat from the butterbar;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary broken sectional view taken on theline 55 of Figure 2 showing the hinged mounting of the door to thedevice and illustrating details of the cutting means;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view through the device taken on theline 66 of Figure 2 showing a butter bar backing block associated withthe indexing means of the device to connect the cover member to thesupporting base thereof;

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view of the device taken on the line7-7 of Figure 6 showing means for guiding the movement of the coverrelative to the supporting base;

Figure 8 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 88of Figure 6 showing a cut back portion of the top wall of the supportingbase and showing finger grip notches in the indexing block; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the indexingblock in a position to be removed from the device to permit separationof the cover thereof from its supporting base member.

In the present illustration of this invention I have shown in Figure 1of the drawings an article of manufacture in the form of a combinedportable butter storage and slicing device. The device is of rectangularform and when butter is placed therein it is intended to be stored in arefrigerated food compartment of a refrigerator cabinet maintained at,say for example, 40 to F. Such temperature has been found capable ofpreserving butter over a long period of time. The device includes afirst inner support or base member 11 comprising a housing having anopen end. Member 11 has a horizontal elongated compartment 12 in itslower portion which receives and removably supports a shal low tray 14(see Figures 2 and 6). The top wall 16 of compartment 12 forms a ledgeor platform for the reception of a one-quarter pound print or bar ofbutter indicated by the dot-dash lines 17 in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of thedrawings. While my device is primarily intended for storing and slicingbutter into pats it is to be understood that any preformed ediblesubstance or units may be placed therein. The support member 11 includesthickened lower side and rear wall portions which are hollowed out as at13 for receiving lower leg-like portions 15 (see Figure 6) of walls of acover or hood member to be presently described. The upper portion of theside and rear walls of support member 11 extend above the platform 16,as at 18, and each of these side walls has a thin integral longitudinalprojection 19 (see Figures 2 and 6) extending inwardly thereof over thefront portion of platform 16 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.Each side wall 18 also has an integral inwardly directed boss 21 (seeFigure 6) formed thereon and being coextensive with the platform 16 (seeFigure 2) to provide a guide for a follower block 22 disposed in back ofthe bar of butter 17 on platform 16 for a purpose to be hereinafter morefully described. The longitudinally extending bosses 21 also serve tospace the bar of butter 17 from walls 18 to reduce friction therebetweenwhen the slicing device is manipulated. Follower block 22 has fourcutout portions 24 two of which receive the opposed projections 19. Byproviding the follower block 22 with the four cutout portions 24, eachopposed pair of which are spaced a like distance from the top and bottomrespectively of block 22, it makes no difierence whether the block isplaced into the device right side up or upside down. In either eventthere will be a pair of the cutout portions 24 aligned with and ready toreceive the opposed projections 19 when the block 22 is pushed providedin the one into the device from the open end of supporting housing ormember 11. The block 22 is also provided with four finger gripdepressions 25 utilized for a purpose to be hereinafter described. A pinor rod 26 passing through block 22 has its ends projecting through thewalls '18 in a cutout, slot 27 provided therein (see Figure 6) and,extending from the open front edge of member 11 back to a point adjacentthe rear end thereof (see Figure 2). The ends of pin or rod 26 projectoutwardly a, substantial distance from, the walls 18 for a purpose tobehereinafter described. Support or housing member 11 is provided-With aset, of vertical side.

rails 31 adjacent. the front thereof and a set of vertical .end rails 32at the rear thereof (see Figure 7.). Both sets of rails 31 and 32 are.in the form of straight integralhosses extendingoutwardly from member11.

. The present device. also includes a second member, hood or cover 36which encloses the bar or print of butter '17 and portions of the baseor, support member 11. This cover member 36 has an opening in its frontend andis open at its bottom so as to straddle the walls 16 and 18. ofsupport member 11. The front and rear leg-like portions 15 of member 36fit and areslidable in. the hollowed out portions 13 of base orsupport-member 11. Cover member 36 is provided with vertical slots 37 ineach of its side walls and a, pair of similar .slots 38 in its rear wall.to receive the rails 31 and 32 respectively (see Figure 7). Thus thesets of rails 31 and. 32 on support member 11 and the sets of slots 37and 38 on the cover or hood member 36 form complementary guide means forslidably connecting these members together. The guide means isstraightto permit cover member 36 to,be bodily reciprocated in a straight lineperpendicular direction with respect to the extension of the buttersupporting platform 16 and the length of support member 11. Cover member3-6 carries a cutting means adjacent the. opening in the front thereof.This cutting means is in the form of a wire 41 extending horizontallyacross the front of member 36.;in'a normal position slightly below thebutter supporting surface of the platform or top wall 16 of traycompartment 12 (see Figures 2 and One end 42 of wire 41 is soldered orotherwise stationarily secured to a set or the like screw 43 threadedinto a hole side wall of cover member 36 (see 'FigureS). The other orfree end 44 of wire 41 has a ball 46 rigidly secured thereto androtatably riding in a socket portionof a plug 47 located in acounter-bored hole in the other side wall of cover member 36 (see Figure5). The tension of the cutting wire 41 may be adjusted by turning setscrew 43 within the tapped hole as is desired or necessary.

a The inner surface of each side wall of cover member 36 is cut ornotched out to provide an indexing arrangement or means for the device.This indexing means is of such character as to be rendered effective bystraight line sliding or reciprocating movement of cover member 36relative to the support member '11. The cut or notched-out portions inthe inner surface'of each of the vertical side walls of cover member 36,facing member 11, include a longitudinal groove 49, terminating inspaced relation to the front and back. of member 36 (see Figures 3 and4) and a plurality of equally spaced apart vertically disposed matching.grooves 59 communicating with one another at a point spaced from theirlower ends and having their upper ends communieating: with or opening,into the horizontal groove 49. The lower portion of the opposed sets ofvertical grooves 50 are provided with offset portions, indicated at 51,directed toward the rear of the device (see Figure 2); The side walls ofthe opposed sets of grooves 50 are shaped to provide camming surfaces asindicated at 52 53 and-54 for the purpose of directing pin or rod 26along the indexing means as will be explained. The. projecting ends ofpin or rod 26 passthrough the slots 27 and extend into the grooves ofthe indexing means for the purpose of shifting the follower block 22 andconsequently a bar of butter placed in the device and supported onplatform 16 in a manner to be presently described. The projection of pinor rod 26 into the grooves of the indexing means also serves as means'for connecting the members 11 and 36 together. Each side wall of member36 is also cut out or notched as at 55 to provide a horizontal grooveextending from the bottom of the frontmost set of grooves 50 to thefront edge portion of member 36. The grooves 55 in member 36 formpassageways adapted to coincide with the opposed slots 27 in member 11when cover member 36 is at the top of its upstroke for a purpose to behereinafter described. 7

A door 56, hinged to support member 11, by pins or the like 57, closesthe open front end of the device and has a hooked top tongue portion 58snapped over a lip 59 provided at the front edge of the top wall ofcover member 36. The closed position of door 56 normally preventsmovement of the cover member 36'relative and therefore when tray 14 ismoved outwardly ofcompartment 12 it is partially supported by thisopened door (see Figures 3 and 4).

The chamber or space between walls 18 above platform 16 of member 11 isof such size as to receive bars of butter which may vary somewhat indimensions so that the present device is rendered universal in use. Forexample, there are two different sized one-quarter pound bars of butterretailed throughout this country for consumption in homes. There is onenormally referred to as a West Coast standard size print or bar which is1 /2" wide, 1% high and 3%" long. There is another usually referred toas an East Coast standard size print, bar 'or stick which is 1% wide,1%" high and 4%" long. The present device is designed to receive andcutpats from either one of these differently dimensioned bars of butter.The dot-dash line showing of the bar of butter 17 in the drawingsrepresents the standard East Coast size and when a standard West Coastsize bar of butter is placed in the device the thin projections 19extending inwardly of the walls 18 bite a greater distance into the bar.

Since it is desirable that the user of the present device may view itscontents, to determine the amount therein, I prefer to construct the ofclear plastic material. cover member 36 and/ or Thus support member 11and door 56 or all three of these elements are preferably fabricatedfrom a transparent ther- In preparing the present device for use, thedoor 56is' opened and an unwrapped one-quarter pound print, bar or stickof butter is placed on the front edge of platform 16 and pushed into thesupport member 11. The projections 19 bite into the bar of butter 17 toretain it in a flat position so as to prevent tilting thereof duringslicing operations. If the block 22 is at the front of the device thebar of butter will abut and move the same to the rear thereof. It beingunderstood that pin 26 in block 22 freely moves horizontally in theopposed matching longitudinal grooves 49 of the indexing means to a'point above one of the rearmost vertical sets of grooves 50 (see Figure2).

After loading the device as described, its front, door 56 may be closed,to substantially seal the butter therein (see Figure 1), and the loadeddevice is placed in arefrig erator cabinet for preserving the butter ata low tem to 45 F. Shortly prior to mealtime,

device or at least portions thereof therein. While base or supportmember 11 rests on the work ledge the front door 56 of the device isopened to thereby unlock the cover member 36 from support member 11.Cover member 36 is then manually elevated relative to member 11. Thefully elevated position of member 36 relative to member 11 is shown inFigure 9 of the drawings. The base part of member 11, which has thehollowed out portions 13 receiving the leg-like portions 15 of member36, serves as means for grasping the device with one hand while raisingthe cover member 36 with the other hand. The complementary guide means,formed by the sets of rails 31, 32 and slots 37, 38 causes the up anddown reciprocating movement of cover member 36 relative to supportmember 11 to be in a straight line direction. Pin or rod 26 is normallypositioned in the horizontal groove 49 of the indexing means above oneopposed set of vertical grooves 50 at the rear of the rows thereof (seeFigure 2). The initial upward movement of cover member 36 causes theends of pin or rod 26, in

block 22, to enter one of the rear sets of opposed vertical grooves 50of the indexing means. Continued upward movement of cover member 36causes the pin or rod 26 to ride or slide downwardly in these grooveswhereupon it engages the cams 52 and moves around the curved offsetportion 51 thereof into engagement with the cam surfaces 53 which directthe same into the bottom end of the grooves 56 to thereby terminate theupstroke movement of member 36. This may momentarily move the followerblock 22 back away from the end of the bar of butter 17 without anybeneficial or detrimental result. It is to be understood that block 22and its pin or rod 26 can move only in a direction longitudinally of theslicing device and that other movement of pin or rod 26 herein referredto in describing the function of the indexing means is actually thesliding movement of the slots or side wall portions thereof relative topin or rod 26.

Having completed the upstroke of cover member 36, as shown in Figure 9of the drawings, it may now be manually slid downwardly relative tosupport member 11. As cover member or hood 36 is initially slid in adownward direction relative to base or support member 11 the pin or rod26 leaves the bottom of the opposed rear grooves 50 and is caused toengage the camming surfaces 54 (see Figures 3 and 4) of the next forwardset of opposed vertical grooves 50. Further downward movement of member36 causes the camming surfaces 54 to force the pin or rod 26 and block22 forwardly of the device toward its open front end a distance equal tothe distance of horizontal spacing of the vertical grooves 50. Thissliding movement of block 22 consequently shifts the bar of butter 17forwardly along its supporting platform 16 so that a portion thereofmoves past the cutting means or wire 41. It being understood that wire41 is still elevated above the bar of butter 17 when a portion of theforward end of the bar is moved horizontally past the wire cutter 41 bythe indexing means upon initiating the downward stroke of member 36.Continued downwardly sliding movement of cover member 36 relative tosupport member 11, after a portion of the bar of butter 17 has beenmoved past wire 41 by the indexing means, forces the cutting wire 41through the butter and slightly below the front edge of platform 16 tothereby sever a flat sided pat from the butter bar. When cover member 36reaches the end of its downstroke of reciprocation the pin or rod 26 isagain located in the opposed horizontal grooves 50 of the indexing meansor arrangement above and in vertical alignment with the grooves 56through which it has just passed in rendering the indexing meanseffective. Thus on the next succeeding reciprocating movement of covermember 36 relative to support member 11 pin or rod 26 will ride or slidedownwardly through these same grooves 50 so as to be cammed over, by thecamming surfaces 52, 53 and 54 respectively, to the next forward set ofgrooves 50 for again indexing the bar of butter 17 toward the front ofthe device to push a portion thereof beyond the cutting wire 41. It willbe noted that indexing of the butter bar 17 forwardly toward the openend of the device and the cutting operation are both carried out duringthe downstroke of reciprocating the cover member 36 relative to supportmember 11. This permits cover member 36 to be elevated relative to basemember 11 with a minimum of force to thereby reduce likelihood of thedevice being raised off its table top support during manipulationsthereof. The tongue and groove guide means, rails 31 and 32 and slots 37and 38, cause the reciprocating movement of cover member 36 to be in astraight line direction relative to the support or base member 11. Thisstraight line direction of reciprocating movement of the members 11 and36 relative to one another is advantageous in that the cutting wire 41passes in a straight line through the bar of butter 17 and seversuniform flat sided pats therefrom instead of pats having curved orconvexed and concaved sides. Successive reciprocating movements of covermember 36 will permit the severing of as many pats from the bar ofbutter 17 as are desired. In Figure 3 of the drawings I show the deviceas having been operated a few times to move the block 22 away from therear portion thereof and in Figure 4 the device is in a position readyto index the block into its forwardmost point of movement by theindexing means to remove the last pat of butter from the bar 17 thereof.After any desired number of butter pats have been dispensed from thedevice, door 56 is closed, to again substantially seal the butter in thedevice, and the device is replaced in the food storage compartment ofthe refrigerator cabinet for preservation. Due to the plastic mass ofthe device it maintains butter therein at a low temperature for asubstantial period of time which is ample to permit prolonged slicingoperations without materially increasing the temperature of the butterwhile the device is out of the refrigerator.

The tray 14 within compartment 12 may be pulled out- Wardly of thiscompartment so as to rest on door 56 beneath the wire 41 while cuttingand dispensing pats of butter from the bar 17 (see Figures 3 and 4). Thedispensed pats will be received in tray 14 and this tray may be removedfrom the device and utilized for serving the butter pats at the dinnertable. It being understood that the cut pats exposed to roomtemperatures will soon attain a desirable spreading temperature of, sayfor example, from 60 to 65 F. The tray together with any pats of butterleft therein, after finishing a meal, may be reinserted into compartment12 of the device by opening the refrigerator cabinet door and the door56 of the device. If tray 14 is not used as a serving tray in the mannerdescribed it may be employed for receiving a one-quarter pound print,bar or stick of butter in compartment 12 which can be stored in thedevice within the refrigerator cabinet along with the butter bar 17supported on the platform 16.

Since pin or rod 26 normally locks cover member 36 against detachmentfrom the base or support member 11 it is desired to set forth the mannerin which these members may be separated in order to facilitate thecleaning of chips or fragments of butter from the interior of member 11.After the last pat of butter has been cut from the bar 17 thereof, uponthe final downstroke of cover member 36 relative to member 11, the pinor rod 26 will be disposed in grooves 49 at the top of the verticalopposed grooves closest to the open front end of the slicing device. Ifthe interior of member 11 is now to be wiped or washed out, prior toinserting another bar of butter into the device, cover member 36 iselevated relative to base member 11 to cause the pin or rod 26 to belocated in the bottom of the forwardmost opposed grooves 50 inhorizontal alignment with the cutout passageways 55. At this time thepassageways coincide or are in horizontal alignment with the opposedcutout slots 27 in walls 18 of support member 11 (see Figure 9). Thefinger grip depression 25 in the top of block 22 may be graspedby'theoperators finger to thus pull the block forwardly out of the openfront end of the device. The front edge of the 'top wallof supportmember 11 is cut back as at '29 (see Fignrejii) to permit the operatorsfinger to reach the finger grip depression in block 22. It beingunderstood that during this outward movement of block 22 the ends of pinor mazssn along the alignedpassageways 55 and cutout slots 27. Afterremoving block '22 from the device "cover member 36 can then be freelyremoved upwardly away from base or support member 11 to permit thislatter member to be thoroughly cleaned.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that I have provided animproved ibutter storage and slicing device wherein movable partsthereof are slidably reciprocated relative to one anotherin a straightline direction perpendicular to the bar of butter therein to sever flatsided pats from the bar as compared to a device which cuts the pats withcurved sides. Myinrproved device when closed and stored in-therefrigerated food storage compartment of a refrigerator cabinetsubstantially seals the butter therein and prevents the same fromabsorbing odors from other and particularly odoriferous foodsin therefrigerator. By providing my improved device'with aremovable servingtray and positioning 'thejsame in a compartment therein, capable ofreceiving a bar of butter in addition to the one to'be cut into 'pats,'Iincrease the utility and advantages of such a device. The present deviceis small and compact, simple in construction, is portable and is readilyoperable by housewives.

While for form of embodunent of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred'form, it is to be understood that other formsmight'be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

Whatis claimed is'as follows:

l. A'combined storing and slicing device comprising, a support memberhaving a horizontally elongated platform for receiving a bar of butteror the like andprovided with opposed side walls extending upwardlythereabove, said sidewalls each having a longitudinally extendinglateral inwardly directed projection adapted to bite into the bar, anelongated cover member separate from and movably connected to saidsupport'member, said cover member forming a hood overthe 'bar, saidplatform and its side walls, cut-ting means fixed to said hood, saidsupport member and said hood being providedwith complementary guidemeans adjacent each end thereof, said hood being slidable along saidopposed guide means relative to said platform on said support member ina direction perpendicular to the'dispo'sition thereof, the slidingmovement of said hood forcing said cutting means through the bar tosever a pat therefrom, and said projections on the side walls of saidplatform preventing tilting of the bar within said device while forcingsaid cutting means through the bar. a a

2. A combined storing and slicing device comprising, a support memberhaving a horizontally elongated platform for receiving a bar of butteror the like and provided with opposed side walls extending upwardlythereabove, said sidewalls each having a longitudinally extendinglateral inwardly directed projection adapted to bite into the bar, anelongated cover member separate from and movably connected to saidsupport member, said cover member forming a hood over the bar, saidplatform and its side walls; cutting means fixed to said hood, saidsupport member and'said hood being provided with complementaryguidemeans adjacent each end'thereof, said hood being siida-ble alongsaid opposed guide means relative to said platform on said supportmember in a direction per.- pendicular to the disposition thereof,thesliding movement of saidhood forcing said cutting means through the barto sever a pat therefrom, said projections on the side walls of saidplatform preventing tilting of the bar within said device while forcingsaid cutting means through the bar, andmeans pivotally-mounted on saidsupport member and latched to said hood for locking said hood againstmovement'relative to said support member,

'3. A combined storing and slicing device comprising, a support memberhaving a horizontally elongated platform for-receiving a bar of butteror the like and provided with opposed upstanding sidewalls, said wallshaving sets of spaced apart vertical guide means thereon adjacentopposite ends of said support member, a horizontally elongated covermember separate from and movably connected to said support member byspaced apart sets of guide means at'oppos'ite ends-thereof complementaryto said sets of guide means on the upstanding side walls of saidsupportmemben-aaid separate cover member forming a hood over port-ionsof the side walls of said support memher and concealing the bar on saidplatform, cutting means fixed to said hood, said hood being slidablealong said sets .of guide means relative to said platform in a straightline direction perpendicular to the disposition thereof,

said spaced apart sets of guide means at the ends of said horizontallyelongated device cooperating withone another to prevent binding of saidhood during sliding thereof, and the sliding movement of said hoodforcing said cutting meansthrough the bar to sever a pat therefrom.

- 4. A device as defined'by claim 3 wherein the cover 'member isdetachable from the support member to provide access to the interior ofthe device for cleaning same.

5. A combined storing and slicing device comprising, a support memberhaving a horizontally elongated platform for receiving and supporting abar of butter or the like, said support member'being provided with sidewalls extending upwardly from said platform, said side walls each havinga'longitudinally extending inwardly directed projection adapted to biteinto the .bar, an elongated cover,

memberseparatefrom and movably connected to said support member,"cutting means fixed to said cover member, said support member and saidcover member being provided with complementary guide means, said 'covermember being slidable along said guide means relative torsaid platformon said support member in a straight line substantially perpendiculardirection to the horizontal extension thereof, the sliding movement ofsaid cover member forcing saidcutting meansthrough the bar to sever apat therefrom, and said projections on :the

side Walls of said support member preventing tilting of the bar on saidplatform during'the 'act of forcing said 7 cutting means through thebar;

References in the file of this patent UNITED sTATEs PATENTS 1,708,771Noble Apr. 9, 1929 1,848,642 Micheli Mar. 8, 1932' 2,356,179 Proudman etal. Aug. 22, 1944 2,595,696 Paul May 6, 1952

